×
Ageless Forever Anti-Aging News Blog
Monica

Monica

Medical Writer & Nutritionist

MSc Nutrition

University of Stockholm & Karolinska Institute, Sweden 

   Baylor University, TX, USA

Website URL:

Is there a protective role of testosterone against high-grade prostate cancer?

 


Historically, testosterone has almost been a synonym for prostate cancer, and therefore many men have been - and still are - denied testosterone therapy, despite having testosterone deficiency.[1]

A rapidly growing number of studies have challenged the long-standing belief about a putative detrimental association between testosterone and prostate cancer development and/or progression.[2-5] Here I summarize the results of a study published in The Aging Male, which investigated the incidence and severity of prostate cancer in testosterone treated versus non-testosterone treated patients who underwent prostate biopsy.[1]

 

Effects of testosterone treatment on body fat, lean mass, symptoms and leptin resistance in obese men on a calorie-restricted diet

Effect of testosterone therapy on body composition and leptin resistance

 

It is well-documented that the relation between testosterone deficiency and body fat is bi-directional; low testosterone levels contribute to the development of excessive body fat accumulation, and an excessive amount of body fat contributes to a reduction in testosterone levels.[1-3]

Here I present a series of three reports from a study that specifically investigated if testosterone therapy has beneficial effects on body composition, symptomatic response, adipokines (hormones secreted by fat cells, such as leptin and adiponectin) and gut hormones, over and above caloric restriction alone.[4-6]

 

Key Points

-    Compared to diet alone, combining diet + testosterone therapy results in a greater reduction in fat mass (-2.9 kg) and visceral fat, and a reduced loss of lean mass after 1 year.

-    Dieting men who receive testosterone therapy display higher physical activity levels than dieting men not receiving testosterone therapy.

-    The elevation in testosterone levels by diet alone is not enough to optimize body composition results. Diet alone results in less body fat reduction and more lean mass loss than diet + testosterone therapy. 

-    Diet + testosterone therapy ameliorates symptoms long-term after a diet. Diet alone does not confer long-term symptomatic improvements.

-    Diet + testosterone therapy, but not diet alone, reduces leptin resistance.